The first person in the 75 years old and over category in Nice has been vaccinated this morning. Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi said that 300 people are being vaccinated today and the vaccination programme will accelerate with the opening of the center at the Palais Nikaia on Friday. He said that by the end of next week 25,000 over 75s will have been vaccinated in the Nice Cote d'Azur Metropole area.
Christian Estrosi said that he has spoken with the Prefect of the Alpes Maritimes asking that a decree be made prohibiting seasonal rentals on the territory of the municipality for winter holidays. He added that if the state refuses to do so, the city of Nice will pass a municipal by-law. He also said that "faced with the worrying situation of the department and Nice in terms of health", he would like reinforced protection measures on travel for the February holidays.
Speaking in an interview with French media this afternoon the mayor said that the 6 p.m. curfew has the merit of having flexibility to keep the economy going and that he prefers a store open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. than a closed store. He added that he would wait for his turn to be vaccinated and he would then be "the first to set an example" by being vaccinated. He said it "is out of the question" that he takes the place of anyone else to get vaccinated.
The French Health Defence Council held a meeting today to discuss coronavirus measures. Prime Minister Jean Castex is scheduled to hold a press conference tomorrow.
In other news, an investigation has been opened against the French Minister of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti for alleged "illegal taking of interest". The investigation centres aroud allegations of conflicts of interest in connection with his former role as lawyer. The minister has previously denied the accusations.
Two people have been charged and placed in pre-trial detention after the discovery of a large amount of drugs near Montpellier. Customs officers discovered 878kg of cannabis resin and 150kg of cannabis herb during a control operation on a truck on the A9 motorway. Investigations are continuing.
Meteo France have a yellow warning for high winds in the Var from 8pm this evening until 4am tomorrow. There's a yellow warning for avalanches in the Alpes Maritimes. Meteo France are also warning that the risk of avalanches will remain high in the Northern Alps on Thursday.
A Christmas tree recycling programme in Nice has resulted in the collection of 3,400 trees. Deputy Mayor of Nice Pierre-Paul Leonelli said that the collected trees would produce five tonnes of compost and thanked local residents for their participation.
BUSINESS
Discount retailer Lidl has reported strong pre-Christmas trading in the UK. Sales increased by 17.9% in the four weeks to December 27 compared to the previous year. Lidl curently has 800 stores across England, Scotland and Wales and employs 25,000 people in its British operations. It's aiming to reach 1,000 stores by 2023.
Takeaway food business Just Eat has seen delivery orders in the UK increase by 58% in the last three months of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. The company operates in many international markets and said that orders in the rest of the world grew 47% in the fourth quarter, with Australia in particular demonstrating what it called "outstanding performance" with growth of 166%.
Car sales in China have risen for the ninth month in a row, according to data released by a trade body. Sales grew by 6.4% in December compared to the same month in the previous year but sales for the whole of 2020 were still down by 1.9% compared to 2019.
SPORT
Rugby Union... Kyle Sinckler will miss the start of the Six Nations after being banned for swearing at a referee. The incident happened in the Bristol against Exeter match last Saturday. He'll be free to play again on 9 February but that means he will miss England's Six Nations match against Scotland on 6 February.
Tennis.... British player Francesca Jones has qualified for a Grand Slam for the first time after beating China's Lu Jia-Jing in the final round of Australian Open qualifying. The final score was 6-0 6-1. The Australian Open starts on 8 February after being rescheduled from January.
Football... There are two games in the English Premier League tonight. Manchester City play Brighton and Spurs host Fulham.
The Regional Health Agency (ARS) reports 124 chikungunya cases in southern France as of Monday, with major clusters in the Var. ...
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France is set for one of its biggest strike days in years as around 800,000 people are expected to protest nationwide today, Thursday 18th September, ...
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A 19-year-old woman has been jailed for complicity in attempted murder after last week’s knife attack at a horticultural high school in Antibes, Alpes...
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A suspected arsonist has been arrested after six fires broke out within an hour in the village of Châteauneuf-Villevieille, near Nice, on Tuesday even...
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A water leak has led police to discover a squat filled with drugs, weapons, and cash in Nice.
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